Multi-State Divorce & Family Law Blog by Stange Law Firm, PC

Are siblings always a package deal in child custody cases? On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Thursday, May 28, 2015. Whether you live here in Illinois or anywhere else in the United States, child custody disputes are often complex. Courts try to make custody decisions that reflect the best interests of the children, but those interests can change as the children get older. Even then, for better and worse, it is often difficult for the non-custodial parent to alter the custody arrangement without the cooperation of the parent who has primary custody. Non-custodial parents

What is parental alienation and how can I avoid it? On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Thursday, May 21, 2015. In any divorce where children are involved, protecting their interests and sheltering them from the turmoil are arguably the two most important goals. Even if parents were never married but are nonetheless involved in a custody dispute, children should never be put in the middle. To a certain extent, some collateral damage may be unavoidable. Even when mom and dad are doing the best they can, kids can often sense tension and anger. But

Giving yourself endurance in a family law dispute: Part II On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Divorce on Monday, May 11, 2015. Last week, we began a discussion about coping with divorce, child custody proceedings or any other family law dispute. Although these matters are stressful and will impact other parts of your life, the fact that they often take between a year and 18 months to finalize means that you must treat your family law dispute as a marathon and not a sprint. Coping with stress, anxiety and distracting thoughts is crucial to maintaining your health

Giving yourself endurance in a family law dispute: Part I On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Divorce on Thursday, May 7, 2015. We have previously written that divorce is often difficult emotionally, physically and financially. A major reason for this is that divorce (or any family law dispute) can leave you in a near-constant state of stress, worry and anger. Say, for instance, that your divorce or child custody dispute takes 18 months to finalize. For many people, that would mean 18 months of near-constant stress and all the psychosomatic symptoms that come with it. The human

Study supports joint custody as healthy option for kids On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Friday, May 1, 2015. In discussions about what is best for children after a parental divorce, assumptions sometimes get more weight and credibility than they should. For instance, shared custody has been growing in the United States, including here in Illinois, but it is still not as common as it is in some other countries. And a frequent argument against shared child custody is that kids would turn into “suitcase kids” – forever bouncing back and forth between homes with

Divorcing well: Choosing to rise above your spouse’s badmouthing On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Divorce on Friday, April 24, 2015. One of the worst aspects of divorce for most people is the emotional turmoil, much of which is due to the nasty things said by their soon-to-be ex. When facing the hurt and vulnerability that comes at the end of a relationship, both spouses may act uncharacteristically cruel toward one another. In such cases, the hurt is three-fold. First, you may be deeply hurt by the things said to you and about you. Second, you might

Study on divorce and heart attack risk gives a grim diagnosis On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in family law on Friday, April 17, 2015. We have previously warned readers that studies about marriage, divorce, custody and other family law issues must be taken with a grain of salt. On one hand, the findings are usually interesting. On the other hand, study results don’t apply to all cases and may not be all that helpful. A recent study seems to be an example. Researchers attempted to determine what effects divorce might have on a person’s health, specifically their

In post-divorce parenting, stability is the key On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Friday, April 10, 2015. It used to be the case in many parts of the U.S. that when parents got divorced, one parent would be granted sole custody. More often than not, it was the mother. But times are changing, and courts are increasingly trying to award joint custody when possible – or at least significant visitation rights to the non-custodial parent. With the move toward joint child custody, many former couples are finding that they need to develop a workable co-parenting

Some basic information on child support orders in Illinois On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Friday, April 3, 2015. When discussing issues like child support, emotions tend to run high. Non-custodial parents who struggle to make child support payments are often called “deadbeats.” While custodial parents who seek to enforce the support order are sometimes accused of being “greedy” and vindictive. So which side has it right? As usual, the truth is somewhere in between these extremes. Indeed, most parents want what is best for their children, regardless of whether they pay or receive

Helping older children understand & cope with parental divorce On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in family law on Tuesday, March 24, 2015. In our post last week, we discussed how divorcing parents can help their toddlers understand and cope with the difficulty of parental divorce. Although toddlers present a unique challenge due to their very limited development, it can also be difficult for parents to know how to help their young children (ages 6 to 12). Most of the strategies we discussed in our last post will apply to this age group as well, according to family

Parental divorce and toddlers: How to help them understand & cope On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in family law on Friday, March 20, 2015. Divorce tends to be hard on children of any age. As such, it’s important for parents to know what they should expect during various stages of development and how to tailor support strategies accordingly. That being said, it can be especially difficult to help very young children cope with divorce or even help them understand what divorce is. In today’s post, we’ll share some tips on talking to toddlers about divorce. These tips